1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric charge generating device for generating ions, and more specifically, relates to an electric charge generating device that operates favorably as an ionizer for neutralizing static charge on a charged object and removing static charge from the object by releasing ions toward the object as a target object to be neutralized.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known types of ionizers for neutralizing charge and removing static charge from a charged target object to be neutralized by releasing ions toward the target object are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,693,788 and International Publication No. WO 2007/122742, for example.
In an ionizer disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,693,788, an AC voltage is applied to needle electrodes so as to generate positive ions and negative ions alternately near the needle electrodes, and then the generated positive and negative ions are alternately released toward a target object so as to neutralize the target object.
Further, in another ionizer disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,693,788, and still another ionizer disclosed in International Publication No. WO 2007/122742, one AC voltage is applied to one needle electrode, while another AC voltage that has a polarity different from the one AC voltage is applied to another needle electrode, whereby positive ions and negative ions are simultaneously generated near the needle electrodes, and then the generated positive and negative ions are released toward a target object so as to neutralize the target object.